Abstract

Nutrition labels are one strategy being used to combat the increasing prevalence of
overweight and obesity in the United States. The Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act of 2010 mandates that calorie labels be added to menu boards of chain restaurants
with 20 or more locations. This systematic review includes seven studies published
since the last review on the topic in 2008. Authors searched for peer-reviewed studies
using PUBMED and Google Scholar. Included studies used an experimental or quasi-experimental
design comparing a calorie-labeled menu with a no-calorie menu and were conducted
in laboratories, college cafeterias, and fast food restaurants. Two of the included
studies were judged to be of good quality, and five of were judged to be of fair quality.
Observational studies conducted in cities after implementation of calorie labeling
were imprecise in their measure of the isolated effects of calorie labels. Experimental
studies conducted in laboratory settings were difficult to generalize to real world
behavior. Only two of the seven studies reported a statistically significant reduction
in calories purchased among consumers using calorie-labeled menus. The current evidence
suggests that calorie labeling does not have the intended effect of decreasing calorie
purchasing or consumption.